Date:         Wed, 04 Jan 1995 19:21:25 +0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         anon869@vt.edu (Christopher Bridge)
Subject:      Re: ADVICE NEEDED.

>> Please advise on:
>> 71 camper top bus, has no propane tank under door like I've seen before.
>> Has 1 very well siezed motor, 1600 dp rebuilt once, and will need new heads, 
>> one has a spark plug hole
>> which has been helicioled and blew out.
>> Body good, little rust, one ding in door, but small.
>> Can anyone ID. the vehicle for me- that is whats the type of camper?
>
>I'm not sure what you mean by "type of camper".. on a '71, if  it
>has a fiberglas top hinged in the front, with a tent and a single
>cot up above, a sink, table, bed and closet inside with no stove,
>it is probably a Westphalia Campmobile (check for a metal tag by
>the bottom of the closet door), the most prevalent camper top bus,
>as you put it.  There were a couple of other firms which modified
>VW busses into campers. If it is a one-piece fiberglas top with
>windows, that doesn't tilt, it is probably one of these.
>
>What's most important it whether you are right for it, and is
>it right for you.  This sounds silly, but the people here will
>tell you that keeping an old bus alive is a labor of love. Yeah,
>other bussers will wave at you on the highway, and people at
>McDonalds will tell you how neat the old bus is, but are you
>ready to embrace the fact that you will be fighting a never-ending
>battle with entropy, that you will go everywhere slowly, you
>will always drive with at least one ear open for bad noises,
>you will spend many weekends with the darn thing apart in a
>million pieces while you try and track down the one piece they
>haven't built in 20 years, &c &c &c....?? How important is heat
>to you? If you live in a cold area, be prepared for arctic
>conditons inside the bus.

Thanks Todd-
I am currently the owner of a light cream (impossible to match paint) 76' 
Mercades Benz 300D.  With 163K on the all original engine which has just 
sprung a leak from the front main seal.  Here's the catch- you can't buy one 
seal... you have to buy the whole gasket set.  Wanna know how much? $260.  I 
know about hard to find parts and so on.  It still has all orig. exhaust on 
it which needs to be replaced. Around $550 for parts alone!!

Until about 4 weeks ago the car had no blower motor.  The heat had to be on 
par with that of a VW.

>Have you been around VWs much? Why do you want one? I'm not
>trying to give you a hard time, but this is important.  If
>you've been lurking here for any time, you have a glimpse of
>what it means to own an old VW.  If you go for it, we'll all
>be behind you and supportive, but we want you to know what
>you're getting into! :->

When I was very young my dad rebuilt VW's all the time.  He had a 64' bug 
and a 72' SB.
I'm hooked.

>As for price, I paid $1550 for my '71 five years ago, with a
>decent engine, so that price sounds pretty good to me.
>
>I don't mean to speak for this esteemed assembly, but I feel
>pretty confident that my sentiment is fairly representative.
>
>Know also that everyone here will willingly give encouragement,
>but you're the only one who can decide if it is right for you.

Thanks
Chris Bridge.